News
Local

Bees discussed over beers

The buzz at Sarnia’s first ever Green Drinks event was all about bees.

Green Drinks is an informal networking event where people gather over drinks to discuss environmental issues. The idea began in London, England more than two decades ago and has since spread to more than 750 chapters in nearly 20 countries.

The Bluewater Sustainability Initiative launched the first local chapter Thursday with a discussion about colony collapse disorder and its relationship to food security, led by Ontario Beekeepers’ Association President Dan Davidson at Ups ‘N Downs.

“With bee health, you have to start at the beginning,” he said, explaining to the two dozen participants that since bees have been kept in Ontario, there have been because of the stress of cold winter temperatures.

“In my grandfather’s generation, people would lose five to ten per cent of their bees over the winter.”

In the early 1990s, the Varrao mite arrived in Ontario, and beekeepers winter losses doubled or tripled to about 17 per cent, on average.

Since 2007, neonicotinoid pesticides have been used in the province widely, and now, many hives are suffering a 35 per cent loss. Some are losing up to 90 per cent of their bees.

“It’s very hard to prove that it harms bees, and it’s very hard to prove that it doesn’t harm bees,” said Davidson, adding that any research on bees can be challenging.

That said, the European Food Safety Authority passed legislation earlier this year temporarily banning the use of several neonicotinoids based on studies that showed that bees are becoming exposed to the pesticides through dust, pollen, and nectar, and that the chemicals may interfere with bee’s ability to find their way back to their hives.

One of Davidson’s biggest concerns is that neociotinoids don’t break down like typical chemicals. Their half-life – the length of time the chemical takes to break down to half its original volume – is anywhere from three to 17 years.

“It’s eventually going to accumulate.”

Plus, research is showing that because the pesticides are water soluble, they’re being found away from where any spraying has taken place.

“It’s hitting non-target plants and getting into them.”

About 70 per cent of the 240 recorded instances of bee kills in Ontario last year were associated with bees that carried neonicotinoids, he said.

“So, why not ban them?” asked one participant.

“We can’t ban neonicotinoids and have grain farmers be happy,” said Davidson.

But he and the OBA would like to see more regulations on how the substances are used.

“Right now, they’re being used prophylactically everywhere. It’s used year after year after year after year, whether pests are there or not.”

The other members of the discussion seemed happy to help – offering to help find supporting documentation, sign petitions (available at www.ontariobee.com), and spread the word in their own circles.